Obtainable in a wide array of thicknesses, aluminum sheet is thicker than aluminum foil but thinner than metal plate. It typically ranges from 0.006 inches as much as 0.080 inches. For the reason that range, its slitting capabilities generally run from the slit width of one-quarter inch as much as 36 inches wide, with core sizes of 6 inches, 12 inches or 16 inches. Its sheet capabilities because same range are 2 inches wide as much as 180 inches long, non-tissue interleaved.
Construction MMI recently ran articles titled “European Aluminum Sheet Price Drops 5.9% On Weekly Construction Index.” In addition, “carrying out a steady week, charges for Chinese aluminum bar closed flat.skid steer stump grinder ” These falling costs are good news for businesses that want it included in their daily operations. One of the industries that may most benefit from this drop in cost is the automotive one.
In a white paper titled “An Economic Analysis of Aluminum Sheet Production” culled from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT’s) archives, the writer “evaluates the prospects of aluminum sheets as a cost-efficient option to steel in autobodies with the unibody design.” In particular, the study studies the “processing technologies and alloy selection” behind it for the automotive industry. After that it examines these factors impact.
The paper stresses that “the volatility in the price tag on aluminum ingot features a critical influence on the price tag on the sheet.” Published in the season 2000, the study figured “the cost of aluminum sheet happens to be far too much to be always a viable replacement of steel.”
But a great deal has changed in the 12 years since the study was conducted and its results were published. Indeed, the Aluminum Association, Inc. estimates that in 2009, 6,228,000,000, or 6.228 billion, pounds of aluminum were employed by the transportation industry as a whole. That figure represents 28.1% of total aluminum consumption. In addition it makes the Transportation sector the biggest North American market for aluminum.
While the white paper highlights, “The large fixed costs associated with aluminum sheet production bring about economies of scale and favor large fabrication facilities”… like those who manufacture automobiles. Couple the advancing technologies being developed for aluminum with the lowering costs of the commodity and aluminum sheet will more than likely become a much more in-demand product for automotive manufacturers in the years to come.
One of those advancements is the capability to weld it utilizing a high-powered diode laser. A second welding research white paper took a review of fillet welds in the lap joints of alloy aluminum sheet. “It was found that production of fillet welds lap joints in aluminum sheet with the diode laser is feasible for industrial use and might be especially helpful for welding of hem joints in automotive closure panels.”
But transportation isn’t the sole industry benefit from the purchase price drops. Domestically, Containers & Packaging and Building & Construction, along with Transportation, account fully for 62% of industrial aluminum usage. Consumer Durables, Electrical, Machinery & Equipment and Other round out the nation’s aluminum use while exported aluminum constitute the remainder.